The invention relates to a biochemical process for the synthesis of protein from cellulose and starch-containing plants, including such plants as tubers, aroids and dioscorea, as for example, tubers such as cassava and other plants of the genus Manihot; aroids, such as taro; and dioscorea, such as yams.
The invention is especially concerned with a biochemical process for making a high protein food supplement from cassava, sometimes also called manioc, yuca or Manioca, and scientifically called Manihot escuelenta. The term "cassava" is used in this specification and claims to identify this material.
Cassava includes both the bitter and sweet cassava, both containing prussic acid, the bitter cassava having a higher amount of prussic acid.
I have discovered that the prussic acid must be substantially all removed in order to obtain satisfactory yields by the biochemical process disclosed herein.
Cassava is deficient in protein, a fact that is generally true for tubers, aroids and dioscorea. Tubers from various sources analyzed 1.5 to 3.0 per cent by dry weight of protein. Plants that store large amounts of starch and moisture, as do these plants, invariably are deficient in protein. These plants, however, can be grown on a large scale on land not presently used for crops.
My process of synthesizing protein from such starchy plants is therefore of great importance. It gives the world a process which can be used with a major food crop capable of giving a high yield and producing a higher percentage of starch that can be converted to sugars on which to grow yeast that synthesizes single cell protein of high amino acid content suitable for use as a food supplement.